PROLOGUE The main concern of the world today is peace and harmony. The path that the world has until now traversed in pursuit of technological mastery has imperiled peace. If peace and harmony are to rise and rein in the hearts and minds of people, they should have an opportunity to be exposed to the revealing insights of spirituality, which Swami Vivekananda has bequeathed to humanity. Hence, the propagation of his spiritual teachings is the most important means of serving that divine mission. The more the life and teachings of the great Swamiji are made known, the more will the spiritual perspective of humanity be widened, thereby paving the way for enduring world peace everyone is hankering for. Vivekananda – a bridge between the East and West, and a Harbinger of Peace Swami Vivekananda is a bridge between the East and the West. He is in fact a dynamic spiritual force to shape the future of humanity. His teachings have set in motion a spiritual force, which can eventually bring into Western civilization much needed qualitative change. Indeed, Vivekananda is a harbinger of peace unto the woebegone humanity. Mystics on the Emergence of a New World “The mystics have seen that not till we master the know-how of transforming our human impulses and reactions can we hope to redeem the pitiful state of the world. This pitiful state of our world is but a projection of a dreadful inner disharmony. The New World must come from within and not from without – so the best way is not to be too much preoccupied with the lamentable things that are happening outside, but to grow within so that one may be ready for the New World whatever form it may take”. Vivekananda’s Dynamic Influence on Societies and Individuals Swami Vivekananda's influence on societies and individuals can be classified into: his impact as a teacher of Vedanta; his stress on the practice of religion of service, based on equality and tyaga; his role as an awakener, builder and organizer of modern India with its patriotic, spiritual and service movements;
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